Not only is ISIS a brutal band of extremists who heartlessly decapitate even small children in their drive for an Islamic caliphate, but ISIS is also determined to purge whatever competes with the rule of radical Islam. That includes both historical and present-day representations of cultural uniqueness.
Submission and demolition
The name “Islam” means “submission,”* and ISIS is resolute in its pursuit to dominate. It forces submission through fear, massacre, slavery, and even a dismantling of the history and culture of those they subjugate. Their commitment to robbing the people under their domination of their cultural identity and expression has played out in multiple ways over recent months. Their targets have included education, the arts, archaeological treasures, and even some of the Wonders of the World.
Throughout Syria and Iraq, ISIS has closed schools depriving what the U.N. projects is some 670,000 children of an education (International Business Times). They have banned study of any non-Islamic subjects such as geography, literature, math, physics, French, and English. They are replacing previous curricula with studies of Islam alone.
In Libya, ISIS has banned all non-Islamic music and burned musical instruments (Al Arabiya News). In Kuwait, a Muslim preacher went so far as to call for the destruction of Egypt’s pyramids and Giza’s Sphynx (IBT).
Screen capture of ISIS video on the Internet
Historical antiquities destroyed by ISIS
In February, ISIS took a sledgehammer to ancient sculptures in northern Iraq, overturning and smashing what included antiquities from the 7 th century BC. The cultural carnage was recorded on video and the footage posted to the Internet for all to see their brazen disregard for treasures of world history outside their own limited knowledge. The Islamist terrorists claimed to be obeying their prophet by destroying idols.
“This is not unique to the Islamic State but is a central pillar of Islamist ideology,” writes The Clarion Project. “All such groups aim to destroy any culture or learning that they deem ‘un-Islamic.’” The Clarion article went on to explain that ISIS views all non-Islamic culture to be shirk, or idolatry.
In Iraq’s capital city of Mosul, captured by ISIS last June, the terrorists ravaged and then demolished the Mosul library. They destroyed roughly 8,000 books and burned over 100,000 rare documents, some centuries old. The city was overshadowed with “a mood of sorrow and anger” according to the UK’s Independent.
Iraqi Jewish Archive
It is against this backdrop that we consider the fate of the Iraqi Jewish Archive. This collection of historical artifacts from the all-but-extinct Jewish population of Iraq was discovered in 2003 during Operation Desert Storm. Deemed a priceless account of the history of a unique people, the United States’ National Archive took the collection and invested millions in its restoration and preservation.
And now, in a little over a year, the archive is scheduled for return to Iraq. Yes, Iraq…
…the nation that so persecuted the once-thriving population of Jewish People that only a handful remain.
…the nation that hates the Jewish People and wants to see Israel destroyed.
…the nation in the throes of ISIS’ campaign to destroy all non-Muslim history, archaeological treasure, and culture.
Jewish Voice Ministries has sent boxes and boxes to the U.S. State Department pleading through the voices of thousands who signed a petition objecting to the return of the Iraqi Jewish Archive to Iraq. Countless others, including members of Congress, have spoken up against the irresponsibility of returning these Jewish treasures to a nation with such disregard for the Jewish People. And now there is ISIS.
Please pray
Would you please pray with us that the voices of our petitioners will have an effect on decision makers? This historical record of a unique Jewish population must not fall into the hands of those who hate her. We are praying for a permanent solution that will return the artifacts and records to those to whom they belong and thereby prevent priceless historical treasures from being destroyed.
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